§ 2234
Authority exceeded in executing warrant
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever, in executing a search warrant, exceeds his authority or exercises it with unnecessary severity, shall be or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 803 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title III, §3002(a)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1805.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime for a person carrying out a search warrant to willfully (on purpose) go beyond what the warrant allows, or to carry it out with unnecessary harshness.